Rock music fan Yuri Galaktionov wants his skin to be auctioned off after he dies.
ADVERTISEMENTRock music fan Yuri Galaktionov has a rock 'n' roll tattoo collection that he thinks is exceptional.
He's had autographs from famous music stars, including Sting, Ozzy Osbourne and Klaus Meine from German rock band Scorpions, inked onto his body forever.
The Russian has nine famous names hand-written by rock legends and then converted into tattoos.
He's planning to auction his own skin so the tattoos don't disappear when he dies.
"Initially, it was a joke, with my first tattooist, we were laughing, about where I could transfer the collection," Galaktionov said.
It then turned into a more serious decision when Galaktionov had a real offer from the United States to arrange an auction and sell his skin after he dies.
Galaktionov said he believes doing so would keep the spirit of some of the most well-known rock stars alive.
The rock music fan said discussions are currently underway on the legal details of the contract, which has many non-standard requirements due to its unusual nature. It could take about six months to put together a workable agreement.
Galaktionov said his one requirement is that his skin is not used for personal purposes, but for use in a public space, such as music museum or bar.
"Anyone can buy it, the only requirement is that it must be in public, that is, the person who buys it cannot use it at home, in an apartment, this lot must be public in the future, for people, for rock 'n' roll," he said.
An important issue for a possible deal is that no one knows what his skin will look like after Galaktionov's death.
There are also many other hurdles buyers should consider, according to law expert Nikolay Kandiranda.
"First, what will be the condition of the skin at the time of his death, assuming that Yuri will live a long and full life?" Kandiranda asked.
"Then, will the buyer of the skin be alive by that moment? Well, and how important will the autographs be themselves and their authors in terms of music history?"
Galaktionov only has tattoos of his favourite musicians, and there are not many more left to collect.
"I think that there are not so many more people (whose autographs I want to put on my body)," he said.
"Well, maybe you can count them on your fingers, so I think that we will fit them on my body."